Ambulance



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet'- l.

W. LAWRENCE.

AMBULANCE.

No. 398,517. Pat ted Feb. 26, 1889.

(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 2;

W. LAWRENCE.

AMBULANCE.

No. 398,517. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

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VILLIAM LAW'RENCE, OF VORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

AMBULANCE.

SPEGIFICATIDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,517, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed November 3, 1888.

T0 (0% whom it; may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LAWRENCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vorcester, in the county of \Vorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ambulances;

and I do hereby declare that the following is r a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which, in connection with the drawings making a part of this specification, will enable others skilled in the art-t0 which my invention belongs to make and use the same.

My invention relates to ambulances for carrying the sick and wounded, and more particularly to the stretcher supported within the ambulance, and upon which the patient is placed.

The object of my invention is to so construct the stretcher and combine it with the ambulance-body that there shall be the least possible jar to the patient, and also to provi le for the raising or lowering of the stretcher within the ambulance-body after the patient is placed thereon; and my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and operation. of a hanging frame or sling in which the stretcher is supported and the combination of the same with the ambulancebody, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partially broken away, of an ambulance-Wagon with my improvements applied thereto; and Fig. 2 is arear end View, the back-board being down.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents an ambulance-wagon body of any ordinary construction, with inclosed sides and ends.

A stretcher, 2, of any ordinary construction, rests upon the bottom of the ambulance. A second stretcher, 3, to which my present invention relates, is supported above the stretcher 2.

The stretcher 3 consists of the base part or frame 4, upon which the mattress 5 rests, and the side poles, 6, and end poles, 7, which furnish means for carrying the stretcher, said poles being secured on posts 7 extending up from frame 4. The stretcher 3, when in posi tion in the ambulance-body, rests and is supported upon a sling or hanging frame, 8, which consists of a base, 9, suspended by means of Serial No. 289,934. (No model.)

vertical springs 10, two or more on each side, (four being shown. in the drawings,) from cross-pieces 11, which cross pieces are in turn suspended by means of cords or flat bands 12 from pulleys 13, which are fast upon a shaft,

l-t, extending centrally in this instance, in the upper part oi the ambulance-body, and supported to turn in bearings at the ends of brackets 15. The outer end, 1%, of the shaft 14 is made square, adapted for engagement with a wrench to turn the shaft in either direction to raise or lower the cross-pieces 11, and with them the frame 8, upon which the stretcher 3 is supported.

.A ratchet-wheel, 16, is secured on the end 14 of the shaft 14., and a catch-over pawl, 17, pivoted above and adapted to lit over the teeth of the ratchetwheel and hold the shaft 14: and the frame 8 suspended therefrom at the desired height.

In order to prevent too much motion or swinging of the cross pieces 11, after the frame 8 is drawn up into position, cords 18 are provided, secured at their upper ends to the am bulance-body, and having hooks at their lower ends adapted to catch into eyes 11 in the cross-pieces 11.

The use of the cords 18 may be dispensed with and other equivalent means provided.

Spiral springs 19, two or more on each side,

are secured at one end to the sides of the frame 8 and extend at right angles to the vertical springs 10. The outer ends of said springs 19 are in this instance provided with eyes 19', which encircle and slide freely up and down on the side rods, 20, secured at the sides of the ambulance-body, (see Fig. 2,) so that when the frame 8, with the stretcher 3 supported thereon, is raised or lowered the side springs, 19, will move up and down with it, and thus always remain in the same position relatively to the springs 10. The purpose of the side springs, 19, is to overcome any side jar or jolt of the ambulance-body and .to allow the frame 8 and stretcher 3 thereon to have a yielding side or horizontal motion, as well as a yielding vertical motion, thus doing away with any jar to the patient.

I have shown the shaft 1t, by means of which the frame 8 and stretcher 3 thereon are 5 over pulleys arranged at the top and also at one side of the ambulance-bod y to said shaft.

From the above description, in. connection with the drawings, the operation of my invention will be readily understood by those 0 skilled in the art, and briefly is as follows:

The several parts being in the position shown in the drawings, the pawl 16 is disconnected from the ratchet-wheel 15, allowing the shaft 14 to turn and the frame 8 and stretcher .1), 5 thereon to be lowered until said frame rests upon the lower stretcher, 2, or the bottom of the amlmlance-body in case the stretcher 2 is removed. The stretcher 3 is then drawn out of the frame by means of the poles 6 and 7.

0 After the patient is placed upon the mattress 5 of the stretcher a said stretcher is pushed into the sling or frame 8. Said frame is then raised up into the position shown in the drawing's by means of a wrench on the end let of 5 the shaft 14:, and in case it is desired to carry a second patient at the same time the stretcher 2 is placed upon the bottom of the ambulance body under the swinging frame 8.

I have shown and described my invention applied to an ambulance-wagon; but it may equally well be applied to other kinds of conveyances.

llaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an ambulance, the combination, with the st-retcherframe supported by vertical spiral springs and attached to lateral horizontal spiral springs, of means for raising and lowering said frame andholding' the same in place, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an ambulance, the combination, with the h anging stretcheuframe, consisting of the base 9, spiral springs 10, and cross-pieces 11, and the horizontal spiral springs 19, attached to said fran'ie, of means for raisingand lowering said frame, consisting of a shaft sup ported and turning in bearings within the ambulance-body, and straps or cords connecting the cross-pieces 11 with said shaft, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN C. DEWEY, CLARENCE M. SCHOFIELD. 

